Either people are WAY too critical and nitpicky or the extended cut stuff really did its job. I well and truly enjoyed the ending I experienced. It was all worth it to see Joker and EDI standing together looking off into the distance.

Either people are WAY too critical and nitpicky or the extended cut stuff really did its job. I well and truly enjoyed the ending I experienced. It was all worth it to see Joker and EDI standing together looking off into the distance.

Extended cut made a reasonably significant difference, I really am glad for the people who finish the game now and the endings they get, it's a far more appropriate finish to the saga and avoids all the confusion/upset that people were feeling when they finished before

"Definition: Love is making a connection with another person against long odds." "Clarification: Love is making a shot to the knees of a target 300 kilometers away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope."-HK-47WoW Millionaire

Fivelives wrote:I was about to load it up and play it through, but then I realized that I didn't have a save in the right spot.

So I said screw it, and youtubed the endings.

Of note, it's potentially more than just the endings, if you load pre battle of Earth your companions can have different things to say to you before you visit the sky

"Definition: Love is making a connection with another person against long odds." "Clarification: Love is making a shot to the knees of a target 300 kilometers away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope."-HK-47WoW Millionaire

Flex wrote:Playing through it again, the explanation for how the squadmates get on the Normandy is pretty dumbtarded.

I think it made more sense the old way. There is a big chunk of time when Shepard and Anderson are having a chat at the end and it isn't too much of a stretch to think that they got picked up sometime during that but people couldn't just come to that conclusion on their own for some strange reason so Bioware made it quite clear, even if it involved a 5 second trip from orbit down to their exact location right in front of a giant Reaper pooping laser beams of doom all over the place.

Either people are WAY too critical and nitpicky or the extended cut stuff really did its job. I well and truly enjoyed the ending I experienced. It was all worth it to see Joker and EDI standing together looking off into the distance.

Synthetesis, apart of not making the slightest bit of sense, is quite good.You should keep in mind that the endings you've seen are not the ones that spawned the controversy, though.

Flex wrote:Playing through it again, the explanation for how the squadmates get on the Normandy is pretty dumbtarded.

I think it made more sense the old way. There is a big chunk of time when Shepard and Anderson are having a chat at the end and it isn't too much of a stretch to think that they got picked up sometime during that but people couldn't just come to that conclusion on their own for some strange reason so Bioware made it quite clear, even if it involved a 5 second trip from orbit down to their exact location right in front of a giant Reaper pooping laser beams of doom all over the place.

I know right. The heroes stop moving and don't get hit by the laser beams and I'm supposed to buy that? Maybe the Reapers can only see movement like the t-rex in Jurassic Park.

We live in a society where people born on third base constantly try to steal second, yet we expect people born with two strikes against them to hit a homerun on the first pitch.

So I've been avoiding this thread like the plague for the past week or two until I had a chance to finally play through the DLC.

*******spoilers ahead***************

I am a bit happier about the ending now, though there were still a few plot holes. I'm still not a big fan of the whole "Magic space-child" thing, but it works a bit better after the changes.

One thing that I don't really understand why the starchild couldn't have simply called the reapers off for now? Why does Shepard have to take control of the reapers in order to prevent destruction or synthesis, if the starchild already has control, shouldn't he be able to accomplish the control path without Shepard having to sacrifice himself?

Also, was there additional content added outside of the finale? Because they still didn't explain how the entire crew managed to show up on the Normandy.

Courage not of this earth in your eyesFaith from far beyond lies deep inside

Arnock wrote:Also, was there additional content added outside of the finale? Because they still didn't explain how the entire crew managed to show up on the Normandy.

We kind of addressed it a few posts up. There was the new "extraction" scene and as for the rest of the crew? There was lots of time while Shepard and Anderson were doing their thing. I imagine the Normandy picked them up during that time. I don't need a scene depicting it. Occam's Razor and all that.

Arnock wrote:Also, was there additional content added outside of the finale? Because they still didn't explain how the entire crew managed to show up on the Normandy.

We kind of addressed it a few posts up. There was the new "extraction" scene and as for the rest of the crew? There was lots of time while Shepard and Anderson were doing their thing. I imagine the Normandy picked them up during that time. I don't need a scene depicting it. Occam's Razor and all that.

Reality is: Hammer is down there BECAUSE we can't drop off near the beam.If we can drop off AND take off near the beam, the whole thing becomes kind of retarded.

Arnock wrote:Also, was there additional content added outside of the finale? Because they still didn't explain how the entire crew managed to show up on the Normandy.

We kind of addressed it a few posts up. There was the new "extraction" scene and as for the rest of the crew? There was lots of time while Shepard and Anderson were doing their thing. I imagine the Normandy picked them up during that time. I don't need a scene depicting it. Occam's Razor and all that.

Reality is: Hammer is down there BECAUSE we can't drop off near the beam.If we can drop off AND take off near the beam, the whole thing becomes kind of retarded.

Which is why I thought the new extraction scene made less sense then just imagining a possible retreat in my head where they were picked up somewhere else during the final scenes of the game.

Gracerath wrote:There is a big chunk of time when Shepard and Anderson are having a chat at the end and it isn't too much of a stretch to think that they got picked up sometime during that but people couldn't just come to that conclusion on their own for some strange reason so Bioware made it quite clear, even if it involved a 5 second trip from orbit down to their exact location right in front of a giant Reaper pooping laser beams of doom all over the place.

Except that you only get that chat if you do everything exactly right. That's the "extended" ending - and in order to get it, you have to have done every paragon/renegade option with TIM through the entire game.

Unless you're talking about TIM's scene?

- I'm not Jesus, but I can turn water into Kool-Aid.- A Sergeant in motion outranks an officer who doesn't know what the hell is going on.- A demolitions specialist at a flat run outranks everybody.

aureon wrote:Reality is: Hammer is down there BECAUSE we can't drop off near the beam.If we can drop off AND take off near the beam, the whole thing becomes kind of retarded.

The way I see it, now that the Hammer is down there in force, it provides sufficient distraction to allow a single cloaked ship to approach from a distance, do a quick pickup, and dash away. Presumably, Harbinger did not fire at the fleeing Normandy because he's too busy incinerating Krogan heavy cavalry that was charging directly at the Citadel beam from another direction.

Supporting argument: you only get the pickup scene if your EMS rating is high enough (i.e., if Hammer provides enough distraction). Otherwise, it's molten metal death for your teammates.

Gracerath wrote:There is a big chunk of time when Shepard and Anderson are having a chat at the end and it isn't too much of a stretch to think that they got picked up sometime during that but people couldn't just come to that conclusion on their own for some strange reason so Bioware made it quite clear, even if it involved a 5 second trip from orbit down to their exact location right in front of a giant Reaper pooping laser beams of doom all over the place.

Except that you only get that chat if you do everything exactly right. That's the "extended" ending - and in order to get it, you have to have done every paragon/renegade option with TIM through the entire game.

Unless you're talking about TIM's scene?

Well, there is the part where Shep and Anderson are talking to eachother over the radio or whatever as they are both trying to head towards the central chamber (slowly, I might add) and then yeah, I guess the part where you are both talking to TIM. I'm not sure if I managed to do every paragon option with TIM through the whole game. I think I missed the very first one on Mars but I can't remember. At any rate, enough time spent there that other stuff could have been happening elsewhere, such as a pickup.

aureon wrote:Reality is: Hammer is down there BECAUSE we can't drop off near the beam.If we can drop off AND take off near the beam, the whole thing becomes kind of retarded.

The way I see it, now that the Hammer is down there in force, it provides sufficient distraction to allow a single cloaked ship to approach from a distance, do a quick pickup, and dash away.

Except that multiple Makos come in and circle the extraction point. Previously we saw Harbinger had no problem smiting a single Mako that was moving, so a few of them not moving would make a nice big juicy target.

It's the worst and Bioware should feel bad for adding it.

We live in a society where people born on third base constantly try to steal second, yet we expect people born with two strikes against them to hit a homerun on the first pitch.

Yeah, I read back through the thread after making my post, my game was saved just before Marauder Shields made his heroic last efforts to protect me from the ending, so I didn't see any more of the additional content.

I'm going to have to replay back through ME3 eventually, I guess this is as good of an excuse as any.

Courage not of this earth in your eyesFaith from far beyond lies deep inside

I liked the endings, contrary to apparently most. The convos with the Catalyst were "not in character", and the explanations afterwards are waaaay vague.But they don't detract from the ending enough for me to dislike the endings.

Fun fact: I got ME1 in November together with my xbox. It was pretty much the first game I picked up for a console ever since Xenogears and Parasite Eve 2 (heh, been a while)I fell in love. Hard. "play through every possibility twice on insanity" hard.Then in February I got ME2. Bam.Pre-ordered 3. Baaaaam.Never played ME2 or ME3 in any difficulty other than "insane". Fun times.

Threadjack NOT over! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN6z3jJ7ENwEver since 1999, this soundtrack is the one I associate the hardest with "shit, we're dead" feelings. From what I caught spreading the songs around, the lack of context doesn't stop the sensation either, just dampen it since the new guys won't associate it with "crap he's kicking our giant robot army's ass while on foot" moments.